Much of this number was seen after Dunmore's Proclamation, and subsequently the Philipsburg Proclamation issued by Sir Henry Clinton. In contrast, about 20,000 people escaped slavery, joined, and fought for the British army. Meaning that while they were only four percent of the manpower base, they comprised around a quarter of the Patriots' strength in terms of man-hours, though this includes supportive roles. Notably, the average length of time in service for an African American soldier during the war was four and a half years (due to many serving for the whole eight-year duration), which was eight times longer than the average period for white soldiers. Of the 9,000 Black soldiers, 5,000 were combat-dedicated troops. Īs between 220,000 and 250,000 soldiers and militia served the American cause during the revolution in total, that would mean Black soldiers made up approximately four percent of the Patriots' numbers. Around 9,000 African Americans became Black Patriots. It is estimated that 20,000 African Americans joined the British cause, which promised freedom to enslaved people, as Black Loyalists. In the American Revolution, gaining freedom was the strongest motive for Black enslaved people who joined the Patriot or British armies.
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